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Summary
Summary
Poor Lee! He used to be a jazzman who could make the piano go yimbatimba- TANG--zang-zang. But now he's lost his hearing, and the bandleader had to let him go.
So Lee goes to a school for the deaf to learn sign language. There, he meets Max, who used to play the sax. Riding the subway to class, they start signing about all the songs they love. A bass player named Rose joins in and soon they've got a little sign language band. And in no time they're performing for audiences in the subway, night after night.
Living legend and Kennedy Center honoree Pete Seeger, renowned poet Paul DuBois Jacobs, and Coretta Scott King honor winner R. Gregory Christie present a jazzy riff on the power of music, overcoming obstacles, and all the different ways to hear the world. So, who will listen to a deaf musician? Everyone!
Author Notes
Pete Seeger was always a storyteller and put together many songs, including "Where Have All the Flowers Gone," "Turn, Turn, Turn," and, with Lee Hays, "If I Had a Hammer." He is also the author of the classic picture book Abiyoyo .
Paul DuBois Jacobs has previously collaborated with Pete Seeger on Abiyoyo Returns and Some Friends to Feed , both illustrated by Michael Hays. Paul lives in New York with his wife, Jennifer Swender, and together they wrote the picture book My Subway Ride .
R. Gregory Christie is the three-time Coretta Scott King Honor-winning illustrator of Brothers in Hope , Only Passing Through , and The Palm of My Heart . Among his other acclaimed picture books are Richard Wright and the Library Card by William Miller and Hot City by Barbara Joosse. Visit him at www.gas-art.com.
Reviews (2)
School Library Journal Review
K-Gr 3-Jazz! It's all about the rhythm and the sounds, musicians in conversation answering each other with notes and riffs instead of words. But what happens when one member of the band can't hear the notes anymore? Through this rhythmic story, readers meet Lee, who loses his hearing and is asked to leave his band. Luckily, he discovers a whole new world of music that exists in the mind and heart at a local school for the deaf. Christie's snazzy style matches perfectly with the book's vivacity. The expressive faces and bold use of color make the story sing. This is a great read-aloud that begs for enthusiastic performance and audience participation. Both uplifting and inclusive, it is a celebration of music and resilience.-Genevieve Gallagher, Murray Elementary School, Charlottesville, VA (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Kirkus Review
After losing his hearing, a piano man finds new musical life. Lee plays piano with a combo at a jazz club. One night, his bandmates notice that he's not hearing their notes; he's afraid to admit that he's losing his hearing. Eventually, the combo has to let him go. On the subway, Lee spots an ad for a school for the deaf. It's a very cool place, and he finds he loves sign language. He and his new friends from the school have jam sessions, using sign language instead of instruments. They practice regularly; when they add a singer named Ellie, they've got a hot new combo that entertains commuters in the subway station. Lee's happy again, as a deaf musician. Seeger and Jacobs' hep narrative is studded with phonic gems ("Bomp," "Phip," "Doodle-bop-bop"), and Christie's colorful paintings have a strong 1950s feel. An unusual story, both stylish and uplifting. (author note) (Picture book. 4-8) Copyright ©Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
